Busy Philipps had an abortion when she was a teenager. It’s been known for a while, but given the uncertainty of Roe v. Wade after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, she’s determined to not let people forget. (Kind of how she and many women like her will never forget the night Donald Trump won the election—“I was really knocked back by Trump's win to the ground. I mean, I like to the floor, like in hysterics.”)
In this new members-only bonus episode of The New Abnormal, the Freaks and Geeks actor tells Molly Jong-Fast how and why she transitioned from acting to activism, and why she is so passionate about standing up for reproductive rights.
“I just wanted to say very simply, you know me, I had an abortion when I was 15 and the situation surrounding it is unimportant, but I deserve bodily autonomy," she says.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I deserve equality and I'm not going to be shamed for decisions that I've made about my own body and my own life based on my own beliefs,” she added. "And that's part of the reason why we're supposed to love this country, right? Is because you can hold a different set of beliefs than me. Your beliefs should not impact the way that I raise my children o the way that I decide to live my life."
Of course, the two had to discuss that time last year that she testified in front of Congress about her abortion. If you missed it, it was definitely a moment worth seeing, especially if you despise Louie Gohmert (R-TX).
Philipps explains the wonderful moment when she shut him DOWN from her point of view: “I have to say that was my favorite thing that I've ever done in my life was saying that to him.”
She also poses to Molly an interesting question: What if vasectomies were as stigmatized as abortions? “They're like, well, don't be insane. It's like, well, how is that insane?” she asks.
Plus, Philipps shares her favorite RBG quote and her feelings on Trump’s “mismanaging” of the pandemic. “The lack of empathy in this country that's been learned is incredibly overwhelming to me,” she says.
Listen to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.
